Amusement device



. Oct. 6,1925- J. B. JOHNSON AMUSEMENT DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May16, 1922 IN VENTOR A TTO QNE Y8 Oct. 6, 1925. 1,555,981

J. B. JOHNSON AMUSEMENT DEVICE Filed May 16 1922 2 Sheets-$119 2 g6] 60BY w Patented Oct. 6, 1925.

UNITED STATES JUSTIN B. JOHNSON, OF NAHANT, MASSACHUSETTS.

AMUSEMENT DEVICE.

Application filed May 16, 1922. Serial No. 561,284.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JUSTIN B. JoHNsoN, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica and a resident of Nahant, Essex County, and Commonwealth ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inAmusement Devices, of which the following is a specification. I

My invention relates to amusement devices, and particularly to poweroperated see-saws or tilts. It is desirable in amusement devices of thistype that the speed of operation shall be rapid enough to please thepatrons but that operation under those conditions shall be positive andsafe. It is an object, therefore, of my invention to provide a see-sawhaving power driven operating mechanism which may with perfect safety beoperated at a sufficiently high speed. For a complete understanding ofthe see-saw controlling mechanism whereby I obtained the desiredobjects, recourse may be had to the following description taken inconnection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a side viewof a see-saw and its operating mechanism embodying my inven tion.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the construction shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of portions of the operating mechanism.

Fig. 4 is an end view of the operating mechanism parts being shown insection.

Fig. 5 is a detailed view.

For the purpose of disclosing the advan tages and objects of myinvention and the means for the attainment thereof, I have shown oneembodiment in the drawings in which the main member or beam 1 is pivotedat 2 in bearings carried by a frame 3 which may rest upon the ground orany suitable base. The beam may be reinforced in any manner as by rods 4and structs 5 and carries at its ends passenger compartments 6. Myconstruction is primarily intended to be operated by a uni-directionalsource of power, for example a gas engine or an electric motor 7diagrammatically indicated. Various arrangements for speed reduction maybe employed, for example a belt 8 drives pulley 9 on shaft 10 whichcarries a pulley 11 driving a belt 12 which cooperates with the loosepulley 12' and the tight pulley 13 which drives the shaft 14. Free onthe shaft are drums 15 and 16 which may be connected to the shaft 14 byclutches 17 and 18 as hereinafter described. From the drum 15 a cable 19runs through over a sheave of the pulley 20 secured in the ground, overthe pulley 21 secured to one end of the main member 1 and back tothepulley 20. A cable 22 on the drum 16 runs to the other end of the mainmember 1 in a similar manner over sheaves of the pulleys 23 and 24. Acable 25 runs from one end of the main member 1 to the other oversheaves of the pulleys 20 and 23 attached to the ground and over thewheels 27, 28 and 29 mounted in the frame 3. The center portion of thiscable preferably comprises the sprocket chain and the wheels 27, 28 and29 will be sprocket wheels. The wheel 27 is secured to the shaft 28'upon which is fixed a brake drum 30 with which the brake band 31cooperates. Brake band 311 is operated by the lever 32 pivoted at 33 andthis lever in turn is connected by a cable 34 to a hand operating lever35.

The oscillating main member 1 and the passengers thereon will ordinarilybe of considerable weight and in order to avoid throwing great strainupon the main member 1 or the power operating mechanism, it

is desirable to provide means for arresting the'motion of theoscillating beam in one direction before applying power to move it inthe other direction. It is desirable that such arresting or snubbingshall not only stop the motion of member 1 but start it on its backwardcourse. To this end I provide buffers 36 under each end of the beam andwhich include springs 37. I also provide the brake cable 25 with stops38 which by the cooperation of the snubbing levers 39 limit theoscillation of the member 1. Levers 39consist of tWo parts between whichthe cable or chain 25' passes and is supported by the cross members 40.The stops 38 are prevented from sliding up on the levers 39 by the pins41. The levers 39 are pivoted at 42 and the end opposite that whichco-opcrates with the stops 38 has a bar or cable 43 connected theretowhich acts against the springs 44. Springs 45 surround the cable 25 andare anchored to the ground or base at 46 so that the stops 47 willcooperate with them to assist in the arresting of the motion of themember 1 and starting it upon its return motion. The weight 50 is movedto balance the main member 1 by a cable 51 passing over pulleys 52 tothe drum 53 carried in brackets 541 extending downwardly from the mainmember 1. The drum is moved by the hand wheel 55. Clutch 17 is providedwith an operating lever 56 and clutch 18 is provided with an operatinglever 57. These levers extend between the positioning members 58 and 59which respectively move about pivots 60 under the action of the springs61. To the lever 56 is attached a cable 62 upon which acts the weight 63and another cable 641 which passes upwardly to the lever 65 pivoted inthe frame at 66. To lever 57 is attached cable 62 upon which acts theweight 63 and another cable 6 1 which leads up to the lever 65' pivotedin the frame 3 at 66. Vith the clutches in the position shown in Fig. 4,the cable 19 will be wound upon the drum 15 and the left end of the mainmember 1 will be drawn down until it strikes the lever 65 whereupon thecable 64- will move the lever 56 to the right in Figs. 4c and 5 until itstrikes the cam surface 67 swinging the member 59 about its pivot 60 andreleasing the lever 57 from the hook 68 so that the weight 63 will drawit to the right and enthe clutch 18 whereupon the right hand end of themain member 1 will be drawn down by the cable 22 as it is wound upon thedrum 16. As soon as the member 59 has been swung about its pivot farenough to release the lever 57, the hook 68 on the member 58 will engageand hold in place the lever 56 against the action of the weight 63 afterthe main member is disengaged from the lever 65. When the main memberstrikes the lever 65, the lever 57 will be swung to the left against thecam surface 69 releasing lever 56 to move under the action of the weight63 whereupon the hook 68 re engages the lever 57.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that power for moving the mainmember is applied to it near its ends so as to reduce the forcesinvolved and that when one end of the main member approaches the groundit will be snubbed by one or more resilient snubbing devices which takeeffect just after the power is cut off. The snubbing devices beingresilient will start the main member on its backward oscillation bythetime the power is applied to the high end of the main member 1 to drawit down. The entire op eration is automatic and the. brake will stop themovement of the main member when the belt 12 is shifted from the tightpulley 13 to the loose pulley 12'.

While I have described one embodiment of my invention in great detail,it is to be understood that I do not limit myself to the specificconstruction thus set forth for the purpose of disclosing my inventionbut I intend that my invention shall be defined by the hereunto appendedclaims.

lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the class described, a main member mounted foroscillation, a unidirectional source of power, power transmittingmechanism susceptible of settings wherein power is transmitted from saidsource to said main member to move it respectively in oppositedirections, and means positively actuated by movement of saidmain memberin one direction to set said mechanism to move said member in theopposite direction.

2-. lfn a device of the class described, a main member mounted foroscillation, a unidirectional source of power, power transmittingmechanism susceptible of settings wherein power is transmitted from saidsource to said main member to move it respectively in oppositedirections, and means positively actuated by movement of said mainmember to reverse the setting of said mechanism.

3. In a device of the class described a main member mounted foroscillation, a unidirectional source of power, means including aclutching means for transmitting power from said source to said memberto oscillate it in one direction, similar means for oscillating saidmember in the other direction, and means operated by movement of saidmember for actuating both said clutching means.

4;. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, a cable connected to said member at points on opposit-esides of its pivot, and snubbing means cooperating with said cableandlimiting the extent of oscillation of said member.

5. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, a cable connected to said member at points on oppositesides of its pivot, and means on both sides of said pivot andcooperating with said cable for limiting the extent of oscillation ofsaid member in each direction.

6. In a device of the class described, a frame, a main member pivotedthereto for oscillation in a vertical plane, a cable attached to saidmember at points on opposite sides of its pivot, a wheel carried by saidframe over which said cable moves upon oscillation of said member, and asnubber mounted on said frame for cooperation with said cable todefinitely limit the extent of oscillation of said member.

7'. In a device of the class described, a frame, a main member pivotedthereto for oscillation in a vertical plane, a cable at tachcd tosaidmember at points on opposite sides of its pivot, and snubbing meansmounted on said frame for cooperating with said cable to limit theextent of oscillation of said member in opposite directions.

8. In a device of the class described, a frame, a main member pivotedthereto for oscillation in a vertical plane, a cable attached to .saidmember at points on opposite sides of its pivot, snubbers secured toopposite sides of said frame for respectively cooperating with saidcable to limit the extent of oscillation of said member in oppositedirections.

9. In a device of the class described, a frame, a main member pivotedthereto for oscillation in a vertical plane, a cable attached to saidmember at points on opposite sides of its pivot, main snubbers securedto opposite sides of said frame and auxiliary snubbers secured to theground on opposite sides of said frame, a main snubber on one side ofsaid frame and an auxiliary snubber on the opposite side of said framejointly cooperating with said cable to limit the extent of oscillationof said member in each direction.

10. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, a first cable secured to said member at each side of itspivot, means for alternately exerting a downward pull on said member onalternate sides of its pivot through said first cable, a second cableattached to said member at each side of its pivot, and means forexerting a downward pull on said member on alternate sides of its pivotthrough said second cable, the pull on a given side of said member bysaid second cable occurring substantially at the completion of the pullon the other side by said first cable and prior to the beginning of thepull on said given side by said first cable.

11. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, a plurality of cables attached to said member on each sideof its pivot, means for imparting a downward pull to one of said cablesand means cooperating with another of said cables for limlting theupward motion of the part of said member to which it is attached.

12. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, cables attached to said member respectively on oppositesides of its pivot, a unidirectional source of power, drums for saidcables and clutches operated by movement of said member for alternatelyconnecting said drums to said source of power.

13. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, means for oscillating said member, a cable extending fromone end of said member to the other and provided with stops, andsnubbers engaging said stops to limit oscillation of said member.

14. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, means for oscillating said member, a cable extending fromone end of said member to the other and provided with stops, a brakedrum operated by said cable and .snubbers engaging said stops to limitoscillation of said member.

15. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, means for applying force to said member to effectoscillation thereof, means other than said first-named means forbringing said main member to rest, and means co-ordinating the forceapplying means and the arresting means to bring the main member to restafter motion in one direction before the application of force to movethe main member in the opposite direction.

16. In a device of the class described, a main member pivoted foroscillation, means for arresting the motion of said main member at bothends of its oscillation and starting it in the reverse direction andmeans for applying force to said member after it has been so started tocontinue its oscillation.

1 7. In a device of the class described, a maln member pivoted foroscillation, means for applying force to said member to oscillate it inboth directions and including clutches comprising members movable intoand out of engagement, means for automatically moving said movablemembers of said clutches in one direction, means for moving said movablemembers in the other direction and operated by movement of said mainmember, and means operated by said last named means for releasing oneclutch for and restraining the other clutch against automatic movement.

18. In a device of the class described a main member mounted foroscillation, a source of power for oscillating said main member, meansfor transmitting power from said source to said member and including aplurality of clutches and means operated by movement of said member foralternately engaging said clutches.

19. In a device of the class described, a main member mounted foroscillation, a unidirectional source of power, means adjustable to twosettings whereby power is transmitted from said source to said mainmember respectively on opposite sides of its centre of oscillation, andmeans positively actuated by movement of said main member for reversingthe setting of said power transmitting means.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

JUSTIN B. JOHNSON.

